The inauguration of newly-elected Gyumri mayor Samvel Balasanyan took place in the October movie theater today and was attended by prosecutors, judges, rectors and other officials of the town. It didn’t stand out for interesting and impressive speeches.
The speech of Bishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, the primate of the Shirak Diocese, was the only one that was different in its profundity. He advised Samvel Balasanyan to clean the town of dust, certainly, meaning people flattering and polluting the atmosphere in the town.
Let us note that this is perhaps the first time that the reverend attended the inauguration of the mayor of Gyumri – the primate of the Shirak Diocese did not get along with former mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, consequently, the reverend was not on the list of special guests.
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General Ashot Gziryan, the governor of Shirak, who was at a consultation in National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan’s office didn’t come to Samvel Balasanyan’s inauguration today. National Assembly MPs didn’t come either – a National Assembly four-day session has started and they were at a meeting too.
Not to mention former mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, inviting whom most probably hasn’t even occurred to them. Instead, security officers were quite many; police officers surrounded the October movie theater. www.aravot.am inquired of Mr. Balasanyan why there were so many security officers, whether it was related to Vardan Ghukasyan’s son Spartak Ghukasyan’s return. Hearing only the first part of the question, rather only the word “security officer,” Samvel Balasanyan explained again that “I have no need for bodyguards, I will be my bodyguard.” “I don’t have any security officers, I have a security service, which is common, and they now perform their respective service. I don’t have any bodyguard, I don’t have any such man, I have 2 or 3 such vacancies, we even have an agreement, they owe some 150 thousand to that organization. I said I don’t need it, I will defend myself,” the newly-elected mayor of Gyumri said.
One of the journalists inquired whether he wasn’t afraid that Spartak Ghukasyan had returned, that he could come and pick fights in the town hall of Gyumri. “You should be afraid, why should I be, of what, of whom?” The journalists reminded, “Have you forgotten, Mr. Balasanyan? Spartak came to your house before the election and ambushed there.” “Did he, I didn’t know that such a thing had happened, who can ambush outside my house, those
are speculations next to absurd. Don’t believe them, I will work, I don’t see any problem, there is no problem,” the newly-elected mayor said boldly.
Nune AREVSHATYAN
